Premises Access System

ABSTRACT

User access to a physical location (e.g., a homes, businesses, or other locations) may be granted for certain limited tasks based on one or more access procedures stored in a registry and associated with an identity of the user. Such access may be given without including an interaction with an owner, administrator, or manager of the location. User individuals may self-identify themselves to an access server or registry after arriving at the premises and receive corresponding access privileges via one or more devices within the premises based on access procedures stored in the access registry. The access procedures may be executed by the access server through communications with access devices within or about the premises and may be tailored based on the type of user individual or type of access requested.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/242,605, filed Jan. 8, 2019, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/614,968, filed Jan. 8,2018, the contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Many homes, businesses, or other locations, allow control overcomponents of the structure through one or more Internet of things (IoT)devices. For example, homeowners may use a smart phone or othercomputing device to turn on lights within the home, adjust one or morethermostat settings, schedule a digital video recorder (DVR) to record atelevision program, etc. via a connection to the Internet. The variousIoT devices within the home may connect to the Internet via a localnetwork within the home, such as a Wi-Fi connection to a modem or otherwireless Internet-access device. The IoT devices and applicationsprovide increased control over various components or devices of a homeor business structure, either while the operator is within the structureor located remotely.

SUMMARY

The following summary presents a simplified summary of certain features.The summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identifykey or critical elements.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for granting access to aphysical location (e.g., a homes, businesses, or other locations) basedon one or more access procedures stored in a registry and associatedwith an identity of a user. A premises administrator, such as a homeowner or manager, may register visitors, such as delivery professionals,service providers (e.g., repair person, pet sitters, etc.), friendsand/or neighbors, and any other individuals to whom the administrator,with an access server and/or access registry or other third parties fordefined and/or limited access to a premises. Individuals whoself-identify themselves to the premises in the absence of theadministrator may automatically be granted corresponding accessprivileges by the access server and one or more devices within thepremises based on access rules stored in the access registry.

These and other features and advantages are described in greater detailbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some features are shown by way of example, and not by limitation, in theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like numerals reference similarelements.

FIG. 1 shows an example communication network.

FIG. 2 shows hardware elements of a computing device.

FIG. 3 shows an example system for granting user limited access to apremises based on one or more access procedures.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example method for generating one ormore access procedures for a premises for granting user limited access.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example method for granting userlimited access to a premises based on one or more access procedures.

FIG. 6 shows an example displaying of access messages used for grantinguser limited access to a premises for based on one or more accessprocedures.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example method for generating one ormore access procedures for a premises for granting user limited accessfrom a communication received from the user.

FIG. 8 is an example communication from a user from which one or moreaccess procedures for a premises may be generated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, show examples ofthe disclosure. It is to be understood that the examples shown in thedrawings and/or discussed herein are non-exclusive and that there areother examples of how the disclosure may be practiced.

FIG. 1 shows an example communication network 100 in which featuresdescribed herein may be implemented. The communication network 100 maycomprise one or more information distribution networks of any type, suchas, without limitation, a telephone network, a wireless network (e.g.,an LTE network, a 5G network, a WiFi IEEE 802.11 network, a WiMAXnetwork, a satellite network, and/or any other network for wirelesscommunication), an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network,and/or a hybrid fiber/coax distribution network. The communicationnetwork 100 may use a series of interconnected communication links 101(e.g., coaxial cables, optical fibers, wireless links, etc.) to connectmultiple premises 102 (e.g., businesses, homes, consumer dwellings,train stations, airports, etc.) to a local office 103 (e.g., a headend).The local office 103 may send downstream information signals and receiveupstream information signals via the communication links 101. Each ofthe premises 102 may comprise devices, described below, to receive,send, and/or otherwise process those signals and information containedtherein.

The communication links 101 may originate from the local office 103 andmay comprise components not illustrated, such as splitters, filters,amplifiers, etc., to help convey signals clearly. The communicationlinks 101 may be coupled to one or more wireless access points 127configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices 125 via one ormore wireless networks. The mobile devices 125 may comprise smartphones, tablets or laptop computers with wireless transceivers, tabletsor laptop computers communicatively coupled to other devices withwireless transceivers, and/or any other type of device configured tocommunicate via a wireless network.

The local office 103 may comprise an interface 104, such as atermination system (TS). The interface 104 may comprise a cable modemtermination system (CMTS) and/or other computing device(s) configured tosend information downstream to, and to receive information upstreamfrom, devices communicating with the local office 103 via thecommunications links 101. The interface 104 may be configured managecommunications among those devices, to manage communications betweenthose devices and backend devices such as servers 105-107 and 122,and/or to manage communications between those devices and one or moreexternal networks 109. The local office 103 may comprise one or morenetwork interfaces 108 that comprise circuitry needed to communicate viathe external networks 109. The external networks 109 may comprisenetworks of Internet devices, telephone networks, wireless networks,wireless networks, fiber optic networks, and/or any other desirednetwork. The local office 103 may also or alternatively communicate withthe mobile devices 125 via the interface 108 and one or more of theexternal networks 109, e.g., via one or more of the wireless accesspoints 127.

The push notification server 105 may be configured to generate pushnotifications to deliver information to devices in the premises 102and/or to the mobile devices 125. The content server 106 may beconfigured to provide content to devices in the premises 102 and/or tothe mobile devices 125. This content may comprise, for example, video,audio, text, web pages, images, files, etc. The content server 106 (or,alternatively, an authentication server) may comprise software tovalidate user identities and entitlements, to locate and retrieverequested content, and/or to initiate delivery (e.g., streaming) of thecontent. The application server 107 may be configured to offer anydesired service. For example, an application server may be responsiblefor collecting, and generating a download of, information for electronicprogram guide listings. Another application server may be responsiblefor monitoring user viewing habits and collecting information from thatmonitoring for use in selecting advertisements. Yet another applicationserver may be responsible for formatting and inserting advertisements ina video stream being transmitted to devices in the premises 102 and/orto the mobile devices 125. The local office 103 may comprise additionalservers, such as the access server 122 (described below), additionalpush, content, and/or application servers, and/or other types ofservers. Although shown separately, the push server 105, the contentserver 106, the application server 107, the access server 122, and/orother server(s) may be combined. The servers 105, 106, 107, and 122,and/or other servers, may be computing devices and may comprise memorystoring data and also storing computer executable instructions that,when executed by one or more processors, cause the server(s) to performsteps described herein.

An example premises 102 a may comprise an interface 120. The interface120 may comprise circuitry used to communicate via the communicationlinks 101. The interface 120 may comprise a modem 110, which maycomprise transmitters and receivers used to communicate via thecommunication links 101 with the local office 103. The modem 110 maycomprise, for example, a coaxial cable modem (for coaxial cable lines ofthe communication links 101), a fiber interface node (for fiber opticlines of the communication links 101), twisted-pair telephone modem, awireless transceiver, and/or any other desired modem device. One modemis shown in FIG. 1, but a plurality of modems operating in parallel maybe implemented within the interface 120. The interface 120 may comprisea gateway 111. The modem 110 may be connected to, or be a part of, thegateway 111. The gateway 111 may be a computing device that communicateswith the modem(s) 110 to allow one or more other devices in the premises102 a to communicate with the local office 103 and/or with other devicesbeyond the local office 103 (e.g., via the local office 103 and theexternal network(s) 109). The gateway 111 may comprise a set-top box(STB), digital video recorder (DVR), a digital transport adapter (DTA),a computer server, and/or any other desired computing device.

The gateway 111 may also comprise one or more local network interfacesto communicate, via one or more local networks, with devices in thepremises 102 a. Such devices may comprise, e.g., display devices 112(e.g., televisions), STBs or DVRs 113, personal computers 114, laptopcomputers 115, wireless devices 116 (e.g., wireless routers, wirelesslaptops, notebooks, tablets and netbooks, cordless phones (e.g., DigitalEnhanced Cordless Telephone—DECT phones), mobile phones, mobiletelevisions, personal digital assistants (PDA)), landline phones 117(e.g., Voice over Internet Protocol—VoIP phones), Internet of Things(IoT) smart devices 118 (e.g., light switches, power access points,thermostats, security cameras, motion detectors, doorbells, door locks,etc.), and any other desired devices. Example types of local networkscomprise Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) networks, Ethernetnetworks, networks communicating via Universal Serial Bus (USB)interfaces, wireless networks (e.g., IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15,Bluetooth), networks communicating via in-premises power lines, andothers. The lines connecting the interface 120 with the other devices inthe premises 102 a may represent wired or wireless connections, as maybe appropriate for the type of local network used. One or more of thedevices at the premises 102 a may be configured to provide wirelesscommunications channels (e.g., IEEE 802.11 channels) to communicate withone or more of the mobile devices 125, which may be on- or off-premises.

The mobile devices 125, one or more of the devices in the premises 102a, and/or other devices may receive, store, output, and/or otherwise useassets. An asset may comprise a video, a game, one or more images,software, audio, text, webpage(s), and/or other content.

FIG. 2 shows hardware elements of a computing device 200 that may beused to implement any of the computing devices shown in FIG. 1 (e.g.,the mobile devices 125, any of the devices shown in the premises 102 a,any of the devices shown in the local office 103, any of the wirelessaccess points 127, any devices with the external network 109) and anyother computing devices discussed herein (e.g., access server 122,access registry, IoT devices 118, etc.). The computing device 200 maycomprise one or more processors 201, which may execute instructions of acomputer program to perform any of the functions described herein. Theinstructions may be stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 202, randomaccess memory (RAM) 203, removable media 204 (e.g., a USB drive, acompact disk (CD), a digital versatile disk (DVD)), and/or in any othertype of computer-readable medium or memory. Instructions may also bestored in an attached (or internal) hard drive 205 or other types ofstorage media. The computing device 200 may comprise one or more outputdevices, such as a display device 206 (e.g., an external televisionand/or other external or internal display device) and a speaker 214, andmay comprise one or more output device controllers 207, such as a videoprocessor. One or more user input devices 208 may comprise a remotecontrol, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen (which may be integratedwith the display device 206), microphone, etc. The computing device 200may also comprise one or more network interfaces, such as a networkinput/output (I/O) interface 210 (e.g., a network card) to communicatewith an external network 209. The network I/O interface 210 may be awired interface (e.g., electrical, RF (via coax), optical (via fiber)),a wireless interface, or a combination of the two. The network I/Ointerface 210 may comprise a modem configured to communicate via theexternal network 209. The external network 209 may comprise thecommunication links 101 discussed above, the external network 109, anin-home network, a network provider's wireless, coaxial, fiber, orhybrid fiber/coaxial distribution system (e.g., a DOCSIS network), orany other desired network. The communication device 200 may comprise alocation-detecting device, such as a global positioning system (GPS)microprocessor 211, which may be configured to receive and processglobal positioning signals and determine, with possible assistance froman external server and antenna, a geographic position of thecommunication device 200.

Although FIG. 2 shows an example hardware configuration, one or more ofthe elements of the computing device 200 may be implemented as softwareor a combination of hardware and software. Modifications may be made toadd, remove, combine, divide, etc. components of the computing device200. Additionally, the elements shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented usingbasic computing devices and components that have been configured toperform operations such as are described herein. For example, a memoryof the computing device 200 may store computer-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processor 201 and/or one or more otherprocessors of the computing device 200, cause the computing device 200to perform one, some, or all of the operations described herein. Suchmemory and processor(s) may also or alternatively be implemented throughone or more Integrated Circuits (ICs). An IC may be, for example, amicroprocessor that accesses programming instructions or other datastored in a ROM and/or hardwired into the IC. For example, an IC maycomprise an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) having gatesand/or other logic dedicated to the calculations and other operationsdescribed herein. An IC may perform some operations based on executionof programming instructions read from ROM or RAM, with other operationshardwired into gates or other logic. Further, an IC may be configured tooutput image data to a display buffer.

A premises administrator, such as a home owner or facilities manager,may register visitors, such as delivery professionals, service providers(e.g., repair person, pet sitters, etc.), friends and/or neighbors, andany other individuals to whom the administrator, with an access serverand/or access registry to allow limited access to the premises based onone or more access procedures stored in a registry and associated withan identity of a visitor. Access procedures may include one or moresequence of automatic control operations of one or more access devicesassociated with the premises to provide a time-limited access to thepremises. Such access may be given without including an interaction withan owner, administrator, or manager of the location. For example, ahomeowner looking to receive a delivery of a package may be at work orotherwise away from the home when the package is scheduled to bedelivered. She may wish to allow temporary access to some or all of herhouse to a delivery person to facilitate delivery of the item to avoidpackage theft, damage to the item, and the like. The homeowner may alsowish to grant access to a trusted neighbor or friend so that they canaccess the home while the home owner is away.

The premises administrator may register visitors, such as deliveryprofessionals, service providers (e.g., repairmen, pet sitters, etc.),friends and/or neighbors, and any other individuals to whom thehomeowner would like to grant access, with the access server and/oraccess registry. The visitors may self-identify themselves to the accessserver or registry after arriving at the premises and receivecorresponding access privileges by the access server and one or moredevices within the premises based on access rules stored in the accessregistry. The access procedures or sequence of automatic controloperations may be executed by the access server through one or morecommunications with access devices within or about the premises and maybe tailored based on the type of visitor. For example, a delivery personmay be granted access to a garage of the premises for delivery of apackage, but access to additional rooms or areas of the premises may notbe granted. For other individuals, such as trusted neighbors or friends,access to a main level of the premises may be granted while securitymeasures of the upper levels of the premises remain activated to limitthe trusted individual's access to the upper levels. The access systemmay control and/or facilitate various smart or IoT devices within thepremises to execute the access procedures for the identified visitor.

Temporary or limited access procedures for users or visitors to thepremises may be created or modified by the administrator of the premisesthrough the access server. The access server may store registered users,unique identifiers associated with the users, and one or more accessprocedures for gaining access to the premises in a registry asassociated with a premises account of the access server. Instructionsand/or directions to users for interacting with the access system andthe premises may be provided to a computing device of the user of on adisplay or other information providing device of the premises. Theaccess server may also provide control instructions or commands todevices within or about the premises to execute the access proceduresassociated with a user. Various access procedures may be associated witha premises based on an identity of the user, a type of access requestedfor the premises, and/or a type of user to the premises. Accessprocedures for users to the premises may also be created or modifiedbased on a communication received at the access server associated withthe visit to the premises by the user. For example, an email or othercorrespondence from the user corresponding to or confirming a recentonline purchase may be provided to the access server from which one ormore access procedures for entry into the premises may be generated.

FIG. 3 shows an example system 300 for granting user limited access to apremises 312 based on one or more access rules associated with anidentifier of the user. Through the system 300 and as explained in moredetail below, an owner, manager, administrator, etc. may create one ormore access rules or procedures for users to gain access to a premises312, such as a home or business. The owner may provide the accessprocedures for a user, such as a delivery person, a family member, atrusted neighbor, a repair person, etc., via a administrator device 302in communication with an access server 304. The access server 304 maygenerate a unique identifier for the user and store the accessprocedures for the user in the registry with the unique identifier. Theaccess server 304 may provide the unique identifier of the user to theadministrator device 302. A user may provide some indication of anintent to enter or gain some level of access to the premises 312. Forexample, the user may use a visitor communication device 308 to alertthe access server 304 that access to the premises is requested. Theindication from the user may include the unique identifier associatedwith the user to identify the user with the access server 304. Theaccess server 304 may verify the unique identifier as associated withthe user and retrieve one or more access procedures to the premises 312from the registry 310.

With the one or more access procedures associated with the user, theaccess server 304 may provide one or more control signals orinstructions to one or more devices of the premises to facilitate theaccess procedures obtained and/or determined from the access registry310. For example, the access server 304 may provide control signals to acontrol system 306 associated with the premises 312. The control system306 may generate one or more instructions or otherwise control variousaccess devices 314-322 of the premises. The access devices 314-322 mayinclude, but are not limited to, one or more entry devices 314 (such aselectronic keypads associated with doors or windows of the premises 312and the like), security devices 316 (such as cameras, alarm systems,temperature sensors, and the like), entry activators 318 (such aselectronic door locks, garage door openers, outer gate controllers, andthe like), presence detectors 320 (such as motion detectors associatedwith entry points of the premises, temperature sensors, microwavepresence detectors, pressure detectors, and the like), and announcementdevices 322 (such as displays, audio devices, and the like). Theannouncement devices 322 may be used to provide information to the userassociated with the access procedures to be implemented. The accessserver 304 may also communicate directly with the access devices314-322. For example, access server 304 may generate an instruction foran entry activator 318 and transmit the instruction to the entryactivator 318 via a wireless connection (such as via a WiFi connectionto the entry activator 318) or wired connection. The access server 304may provide communications and instructions to any of the access devices314-322 of the premises 322 to execute the access procedure associatedwith the user. The operation and interaction between the components ofthe system 300 are discussed in more detail below with relation to FIGS.4-8.

The components of the system 300 may communicate with the access server304 via any communication mechanism or protocol. For example, the accessserver 304 may be included or otherwise instantiated in a network 324 orother computing environment. Transmission of communications to and fromthe access server 304 may occur via a wireless or wired connection tothe network 324. For example, administrator device 302 may be a cellularor other smart communication device that connects to a wireless network.Routing of communications to the access server 304 may occur via thenetwork 324 to reach the access server. The access registry 310 maysimilarly be instantiated in the network 324. Access server 304 maycommunicate with the access registry 310 to store and retrieve accessprocedures associated with one or more users of the premises 312. Theaccess registry 310 may also be separate from the network 324 (e.g.,instantiated in a communication network separate from network 324) ormay be a component of the access server 304.

Access devices 314-322 may be one or more smart devices or Internet ofThings (IoT) devices. Such devices may receive and/or transmitinformation via a connection to a network, such as the Internet. Accessdevices 314-322 may thus be controlled via a computing device alsoconnected to the Internet. For example, security devices 316 may beinstalled at the premises 312 and wirelessly connected to a wirelessnetwork of the premises, such as a WiFi connection or wirelessconnection to a Local Area Network (LAN). Security devices 316 may alsoconnect to the network via a wired connection. An operator or user ofthe security devices 316 may transmit instructions to the securitydevices 316 to control operation of the devices via the Internet. Anapplication configured to control the security devices 316 may bedownloaded and installed on a computing device, such as a computingdevice (such as a smart phone or laptop computer) operated by an owneror manager of the premises. The security device application may, asexecuted by the computing device, provide an interface through which auser of the computing device provides control instructions to thesecurity devices 316. Information from the security devices 316, such asactivation information, setting information, alarms, or any otherinformation associated with the security devices, may be transmitted tothe user computing device and/or the control application of the securitydevices. The application thus provides an interface to communicate withand control the associated access device 314-322 of the premises.

Control signals provided by and received at the device application maybe of a form or protocol designated by the controlled device. Forexample, a wireless camera device 320 may receive control instructionsfrom a wireless camera device application installed on the usercomputing device. Control instructions transmitted to the camera fromthe camera application may be of a type of a communication protocol usedto communicate between the application and the device. Other devices,such a wireless keypad entry system or motion detector, may usealternate or different communication protocols to communicate with theirrespective control applications. Each of the access devices 314-322 ofthe premises 312 may use a different communication protocol or format toreceive control instructions and provide operational information to acontrolling application.

A control system 306 of the premises 312 may receive controlinstructions for the access devices 314-322 of the premises and providethe instructions to the designated device. For example, a controlapplication of a user computing device for a presence detector 320 ofthe premises 312 may be programmed to transmit control instructions tothe control system 306. The control system 306 may forward the receivedcontrol instruction to the presence detector 320 for execution by thedetector. The control system may also translate the received instructioninto a communication protocol or form used by the presence detector 320.The control system 306 may thus operate as a controller of one or moreof the access devices 314-322 of the premises 312 to receiveinstructions or communications from one or more corresponding controlapplications and transmit those instructions to the devices. Interface120 discussed above in relation to FIG. 1 may be one example of acontrol system 306 used to receive and transmit control instructions forthe access devices 314-322.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example method 400 for generating oneor more access procedures for granting a user limited or temporaryaccess to a premises 312. As mentioned above, the system 300 of FIG. 3may determine from an access registry 310 one or more access proceduresfor granting temporary access to a premises 312 for a user. The accessprocedures for a user may be provided by an administrator of thepremises 312, such as a home owner, a site manager, security personnel,etc. Access procedures may include controlling one or more devices314-322 of the premises 312 to provide temporary access to the premisesbased on an identification of the visitor or user, such as providingaccess to a delivery person in response to a package delivery to thepremises, and returning the one or more devices to a secure state oncethe temporary access has been completed. The method 400 of FIG. 4 maydescribe a process for receiving or altering one or more accessprocedures for granting a user limited access to a premises from anadministrator of the premises 312. The one or more access procedures maybe stored in an access registry 310 for implementation after the userarrives at the premises 312, as described in more detail below. Althoughthe steps of the method 400 of FIG. 4 are described as being performedby the access server 304, any component of the system 100 of FIG. 1 orthe system 300 of FIG. 3 may perform one or more of the steps of themethod.

At step 402, the access server 304 may receive information registeringthe premises 312 and a premise administrator with the system 300. Thepremises administrator may be any individual provided with control overthe access rights to the premises 312. For example, an owner of a homemay decide a level of access to associate with a user in relation to thehome. A building supervisor for a business or office building may alsobe an administrator of the premises 312 to provide access procedures forusers to the building. Premise administrators may register with theaccess server 304 as the administrator of the premises 312. Registeringwith the access server 304 may include providing identificationinformation to the access server, such as the name of the administrator,contact information for the administrator (such as telephone numbers,email addresses, etc.), one or more administrator devices 302 associatedwith the administrator, the location of the premise 312, identificationof the type of access devices 314-322 of the premises 312 (such asmake/model information), passwords and usernames of one or moreapplications associated with the access devices 314-322, connectivityinformation to the premises (such as one or more Internet Protocol (IP)addresses of the access devices, modem connectivityinformation/passwords, router information, etc.), relative location ofaccess devices within or near the premises, unique identifiers of theaccess devices (such as “backdoor lock,” “garage door,” “camera in childA's room,” “motion detector/front hall,” “doorbell display,” etc.), andthe like. Any information facilitating the determining and execution ofone or more access procedures to the premises 312 may be provided by theadministrator or other party to register the premises and theadministrator with the access server 304. The access server 304 may alsoprovide a unique identifier and password to the administrator associatedwith the administrator's account with the access server. Theadministrator identifier and password may be provided by theadministrator to the access server 304 to access an account for thepremises 312 and/or otherwise identify the administrator with the accessserver.

To register with the access server 304, the administrator may navigate aweb browser of a computing device to an access server 304 webpage toaccess a user interface of the access server 304. For example, anadministrator may use a web browser executed on the administrator device302 to receive the user interface for the access server 304. Through theuser interface, the registration information discussed above for thepremises 312 may be provided by the administrator and an account may beassociated with premises may be created. To access premises accountinformation via the user interface, the administrator may provideidentification information (such as a username and password) that theaccess server 304 may verify with a listing of registeredadministrators. Information concerning the premises account may also beprovided to the administrator, such as a listing of access proceduresassociated with the premises 312, identified users with access to thepremises, messages for the administrator (including attempted accessrequests to the premises), and the like. In general, any informationthat provides management of the premises access via the access server304 may be provided via the user interface.

In step 404, the access server 304 may receive administrator identifyinginformation for a premises 312 registered with the access server. Suchidentifying information may include a username and/or password to accessthe user interface associated with the access server. Any identifyinginformation may be provided via the user interface by the administratoras requested by the interface to identify the administrator. Further,the user interface may verify the identifying information, such asthrough a look up to a database of administrator information, andassociate one or more premises account with the administrator.

In step 406, the access server 304 may determine if an access procedureis to be generated for a newly identified user to the premises 312. Forexample, the administrator may indicate, via the user interface, to adda trusted user to a listing of users provided temporary access to thepremises 312 via the access system 300. The indication to add the usermay be provided by the administrator through one or more inputs to theuser interface, such as through a selection of an “add visitor” buttonor option in a menu. Trusted visitors may also be added through ananalysis of communications received at a administrator device 302 of theadministrator. For example, temporary access may be given for a deliveryperson associated with purchase on an Internet retailer's website. Thepurchase may include sending an email communication to the administratorof the premises. From the communication, a representative of the onlineretailer may be added as a trusted visitor to the premises and temporaryaccess to the premises may be granted. Temporary access may also begranted for maintenance workers to perform a scheduled maintenance atthe premises. The administrator may schedule the maintenance work to beperformed associated with a date and time and one or more workers toperform the maintenance may be added as trusted visitors for thetemporary access to the premises. A new user granted temporary accessmay be associated with a delivery, home services, emergency services,house cleaning, dog-walking, real estate agent, gardener, pool cleaner,neighbor, friend, family member, etc. such that the access registry 310may include any person that may request temporary access to the premises312.

If a new user is to be added to a list of trusted visitors to thepremises 312, the access server 304 may receive identificationinformation of the new user to be given access in step 408. Theidentification information of the new user may be transmitted to theaccess server 304 from the administrator device 302 of the administratorvia the user interface. The identification information of the user mayalso be determined from one or more communications provided to theadministrator of access server 304 associated with an online purchase,work order, routine maintenance, and the like. The new useridentification information may include one or more types of identifyinginformation, such as name, age, physical description, identificationnumbers (such as social security number, driver's license number, etc.),biometric information (such as fingerprint, retinal scan, etc.) relationto the administrator (such as “trusted neighbor,” “son,” “water deliveryperson,” “water heater repairman,” “house cleaner,” etc.). estimateddate/time of visit to the premises 312, a level of trust associated withthe user, contact information (such as email address, telephone number,text capabilities, mailing address, etc.), information associated with apurpose for visiting the premises (such as a package tracking number,repair order number, etc.) and the like.

The access server 304 may generate a unique identifier for the new userin step 410 based on the identification information received. Forexample, a unique identifier code may be generated for each userprovided with access to the premises 312. The unique code may be anyidentifier that is different from other registered visitors to thepremises 312, such as a string of alphanumeric characters, a string ofnumbers, a fingerprint, etc. For example, an administrator who is a homeowner may access the system 300 to provide access to the home for aneighbor, Sally Jones. The administrator may provide identifyinginformation for Sally Jones to the access server 304. The access server304 may generate a unique identification code, such as “SJ123.”Identifying information for delivery persons may be generated from acommunication received at the access server 304 associated with aninternet purchase, scheduled maintenance, etc. A package identifier(such as a tracking number), identification of a delivery or maintenancecompany, particular visitors to the premises to deliver the package orperform the maintenance, an estimated day/time of the temporary accessto the premises, and the like may be determined from the receivedcommunication. Generating the unique identifier may also includereceiving an identifier from the administrator device 302 and verifyingthat other users to the premises 312 are not associated with identifier.If the identifier code is unique, the access server 304 may associatethe identifier code with the received user information.

The generated unique identifier for the new user may be provided to theadministrator and/or the new user for use in accessing the premises. Forexample, the access server 304 may provide the unique identificationcode to the administrator in the user interface displayed on theadministrator device 302. The access server 304 may also send the uniqueidentification code to the user using one or more of the contactinformation determined above for the user. For example, the accessserver 304 may send an email to the user's email address with the uniqueidentification code and informing the user that they have beenregistered with the access server 304 for limited access to thepremises. The unique access identification code for the user may be usedto identify the user with the system 300 for gaining some level ofaccess to the premises 312.

At step 412, the access server 304 may receive one or more accessprocedures for the new user associated with the premises 312. The one ormore access procedures may be provided to the access server 304 from theadministrator, such as via the user interface accessed on theadministrator device 302 or other computing device used by theadministrator. An access procedure includes information or instructionson activation and use of access devices 314-322 of the premises toprovide some level of limited or temporary access to the premises. Forexample, an access procedure for a trusted neighbor such as Sally Jonesmay include a procedure of: disarming an alarm system or other securitydevice 316, unlocking one or more doors of the premises throughactivation of one or more entry devices 314, receiving and ignoringpresence information sent from one or more presence detectors 320 on afirst floor of the premises, activating a security camera if presence ona second floor is detected, opening a garage door through a garage entryactivator 318, securing the home again through the security devices,entry devices, and/or entry activators after some time or upon entry ofa code into an entry device, and the like. An access procedure for adelivery person may include activating a garage entry activator 318 toopen a garage for 30 seconds, followed by activating the garage entryactivator to close the garage. Some access procedures may includeproviding some type of information to a visitor at the premises 312through an announcement device 322. The message may include instructionsto the visitor on the access procedures that are to occur and instructthe visitor they visitor on actions to be taken. For example, anannouncement device 322 may be configured to display a message of: “UPSdriver—please proceed to west side of house. You will see a side doorwith a keypad lock. Use one-time code 1a2b3c for mudroom access. Pleaseleave package there and close door behind you. Note, the alarm will bedisabled for 30 seconds and your actions will be recorded. The systemwill re-arm once the door closes and the code will no longer work.” Oneor more access procedures may accompany the announcement from theannouncement device 322. For example, a side door entry device 314 maybe programmed with the one-time code to allow access, an alarm or othersecurity system 316 may be disabled for time period, a camera device maybe activated near the side door area of the premises 312, and the alarmsystem may be re-armed after the time period. As explained in moredetail below, one or more instructions from the access server 304 may beprovided or sent to the devices 314-322 and/or control system 306 of thepremises 312 to execute the one or more access procedures for the user.The one or more access procedures for the user may include anycombination of activation, deactivation, programming, controlling,accessing, receiving sensor data and/or information, and the like fromany of the limited or temporary access devices 314-322 and/or thecontrol system 306 of the premises 312. Further, the one or more accessprocedures may be configured to provide a level of access to thepremises 312 to a user as designated by the administrator. For example,a trusted friend or neighbor may be associated with access proceduresthat allow full access to the premises for a limited time throughunlocking of entry devices 314 and disabling of security devices 316 andpresence detectors 320. Less trusted users may be given a morerestricted access to the premises 312, such as a timed access, accesslimited to particular areas of the premises, enhanced securityprocedures, and the like. The administrator may select one or moreaccess procedures to associate with a user, in some instances from alist of pre-defined access procedures, such that the administrator maydetermine the level of access given to each identified user to thepremises 312. The access server 304 may also generate one or more accessprocedures for a user based on information determined about the userfrom one or communications, as explained in more detail below withreference to FIG. 7. For example, access procedures associated with anonline purchase or retailer may be received at the access server 304.The access procedures may be provided to the online retailer at the timeof purchase and included in the communication received at the accessserver. For example, a homeowner may purchase a package from an onlineretailer and provide the one or more access procedures for deliveringthe package to the premises 312 to the online retailer. The retailer maygenerate an approval or acknowledgement communication, such as an email,and provide that communication to the access sever 304. The accessserver 304 may associate the received access procedures with a deliveryperson to the premises 312 to deliver the ordered package.

The access procedures for one or more user to the premises 312 may bebased on a status of an administrator or homeowner. For example, a firstset of access procedures may be provided for a user when the homeowneris at work and a second set of access procedures may be provided for theuser when the homeowner is on vacation. The second set of accessprocedures may further limit the access granted to the premises 312 whenthe homeowner is unlikely to return to the premises soon. The status ofthe homeowner or administrator may be determined by the access server304 via a calendar program associated with the administrator. Forexample, the access server 304 may be provided access to theadministrator device 302. The administrator device 302 may include acalendar program that includes the administrator or homeowner'smovements or status. The access serve 304 may use the administrator'sstatus to determine a set of access procedures to retrieve from theaccess registry 310 in response to a visit to the premises 312 by auser.

Other sets of access procedures may also be associated with a user andstored with the access registry 310. For example, a first set of accessprocedures may be associated with a plumber to facilitate the plumberconducting routine maintenance on the premises 312. A second set ofaccess procedures may be associated with the plumber for emergencysituations, such as a burst pipe in the premises 312. The emergencyaccess procedures may provide the plumber with full access to thepremises 312 in response to an alarm received at the access server 304of a burst pipe or other plumbing emergency. The first set of accessprocedures may be selected by the access server 304 for all other visitsto the premises 312 by the plumber. Any number of access procedures maybe associated with a user to the premises 312 based on a condition ofthe premises.

The one or more access procedures received from the administrator orgenerated from information of the user may be associated with the uniqueuser identifier and stored in the access registry 310 at step 414. Asexplained in more detail below, the stored access procedures in theregistry 310 may be retrieved as a user visits a premises 312 andprovides the unique identifier for the user to the access server 304.

At step 416, the access server 304 may determine if an existing accessprocedure for a user to a premises 312 is to be modified. For example,the administrator may indicate, through the user interface, to modify anaccess procedure for a user for the premises 312 registered with theaccess system 300. The indication to modify an existing access procedureof a user may be provided by the administrator through one or moreinputs to the user interface, such as through a selection of a “modifyaccess” button or option in a menu. Causing the modification of accessprocedures may also be based on alterations to an estimated time/day ofvisitation by the user to the premises 312. For example, a deliverycompany may provide updates to the access server 304 on an estimatedtime of delivery as the delivery person travels a delivery route. Thedelivery person may be running behind schedule such that the estimatedtime of delivery may be altered. The access procedures for the deliveryperson may be modified by the access server 304 as information about theestimated day/time of delivery is adjusted. For example, a package mayoriginally be estimated to be delivered on a Thursday at 5:00 pm.However, due to delay in shipping, a new shipping date and time ofFriday at 2:00 pm may be provided to the access server 304. The accessserver 304 may adjust the access procedures for the delivery person toaccount for the delay in the estimated delivery day/time to accommodatethe homeowner's Friday schedule. Other changes in the estimated accessof the premises may also result in modifications to the accessprocedures. For example, a maintenance order may be altered to includethe delivery of a large appliance such that a higher level of access tothe premises 312 may be granted to maintenance workers to accommodatethe delivery of the large appliance. Such a higher level of access mayinclude access to a garage entrance or other large entry of the premisesfor the large appliance.

Existing access procedures may be caused to be modified over time as auser to the premises 312 becomes more trusted by the administrator. Forexample, access procedures for a dog-walker may initially be limited togranting access to a backyard area, via the unlocking of a gate anddisabling of a security camera in the backyard. The access proceduresmay also include notifying the homeowner of the access granted to thedog-walker. After one or more visits to the premises 312 by thedog-walker, however, the access procedures may be modified by the accessserver 304, such as providing additional access to the premises or nolonger notifying the homeowner of the dog-walker's access. A contractormay be provided access to a premises during a home renovation throughone or more access procedures. During an initial few visits to thepremises 312, the access procedures associated with the contractor mayprompt the administrator of the premises to monitor one or more securitydevices 316 to watch the contractor's movements through the home. Overtime, the access server 304 may learn which areas of the premises towhich the contractor may request access and modify the access proceduresfor the contractor in response to aid the contractor in the renovations.For example, the access server 304 or homeowner may determine whichentry way the contractor may use for bringing in supplies, whichbathroom he should use during the renovation, which windows may beopened for paint to dry, etc. Access procedures for the contractor maythus be modified to provide the additional access to the contractor asthe access server 304 learns of the contractor's movements in thepremises.

Access procedures may also be caused to be modified in response torequests for access from the user received at the access server 304. Forexample, a repair man may come to fix a hot water tank at the premises312. An initial access procedure may be set up for the repair man in theaccess registry 310, such as via the administrator providing the accessprocedure or via a received communication at the access server 304.During the repair, the repair man may request additional access to thepremises 312, such as access to a kitchen area to test the watertemperature. The request may be sent to the administrator of thepremises 312 and the homeowner may agree to the additional access. Therequest may also be sent directly to the access server 304, such asthrough the visitor communication device 308, and the access server 304may determine an additional access procedure to apply to the request.For example, based on one or more access rules or considerationsprovided by the administrator to the access server 304, the accessserver may determine that access to the kitchen may be provided to therepair man. The access to the kitchen may also be included in the accessprocedures associated with the repair man as a modification to theaccess procedures. The modified access procedures may also includesending a notification to the user communication device 302 to alert theadministrator of a change to the access procedures for the repair man.

If an access procedure is to be modified, the access server 304 mayreceive identification information of a registered user associated witha premises 312 for which the access procedure is to be modified in step418. The identification information of the user may be transmitted tothe access server 304 from the administrator device 302 of theadministrator via the user interface. The user identificationinformation may include any of the above listed types of identifyinginformation, including the unique identifier for the user provided bythe access server 304. For example, the access server 304 may provide,via the user interface, a listing of all registered users to thepremises 312. The administrator, via the administrator device 302, mayselect from the listing of users, the particular user for which anaccess procedure is to be modified. In another example, theadministrator may provide the unique identifier for the user for whichan access procedure is to be modified through other inputs, such as atext box within the user interface. The identifying information for theuser may also be determined from a communication or other informationassociated with the user. For example, the user identificationinformation may be determined from an email or text message associatedwith a delivery to or a scheduled maintenance on the premises 312. Theidentifying information may also be received from the user during anaccess request, such as via the visitor communication device 308.

At step 420, one or more access procedures associated with the useridentifier may be retrieved, such as from the access registry 310. If noaccess procedures are associated with the user identifier, an errormessage may be retrieved and provided to the user interface oradministrator device 302. At step 422, one or more modifications to anaccess procedure for the user may be received at the access server 304.Modifications may include any alteration to an access procedure, such asremoving of steps within the access procedure, addition of steps to theaccess procedure, changes to the settings for a step within the accessprocedure, replacement of steps of the procedure with other steps,addition of steps to include newly purchased or installed devices314-322 within the premises 312, changes to announcements to be providedby the announcement devices 322, application of access procedures toother users registered with the premises, increase or decrease in a timeperiod of a step of the access procedure, and the like. Suchmodifications may be stored in the access registry 310 by the accessserver 304 at step 424. The storing of the access procedures may includeassociating the modification to the access procedures with the useridentifier.

At step 426, the administrator may provide information to log-off fromthe user interface of the access server 304 and, at step 428, the accessserver may log-off the administrator from the user interface. Additionalchanges to the access procedures for the premises, including theaddition of new users or the removal of registered users, may beexecuted by the administrator through logging back into the accessserver 304 or user interface.

Through the one or more access procedures associated with a user to apremises 312, the user may be granted some level of access to thepremises. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example method 500 forgranting user limited access to a premises 312 based on one or moreaccess procedures. The access procedures discussed above may be appliedto the premises 312 after an identification of the user to provide thelimited access to the premises as determined by the administrator.Although the steps of the method 500 of FIG. 5 are described as beingperformed by the access server 304, any component of the system 100 ofFIG. 1 or the system 300 of FIG. 3 may perform one or more of the stepsof the method.

At step 502, the access server 304 may receive an indication of thepresence of a user at the premises 312. The indication of the userpresence at the premises 312 may be received from several sources. Forexample, the user may approach the premises 312 and press a button on adoorbell device mounted on the premises. The doorbell device may be asmart doorbell device that connects to the Internet or othercommunication network. Based on the press of the button on the doorbelldevice, a notification of a visitor to the premises 312 may be sent tothe access server 304 indicating a visitor to the premises. A camera ormotion detector device of the premises 312 may detect the presence ofthe visitor to the premises. The user may provide the indication of thepresence at the premises 312 through one or more visitor communicationdevices 308. For example, the user may text the access server 304 theindication or may call a designated telephone number using a smart phonethat alerts the access server to the user's presence at the premises312. The indication of the user at the premises 312 to the access server304 may come from any component of the system 300 or communicationdevices not illustrated in the system 300 with communicationcapabilities with the access server.

At step 504, instructions may be displayed to the user visitor to thepremises to instruct the user to provide the unique identifier of theuser to the access server 304. FIG. 6 shows an example doorbell device602 displaying instructions to a user visitor to a premises 312 toprovide a unique identifier to the access server (doorbell deviceexample 612). Any display may be used to provide instructions to avisiting user, such as a placard, sign, configurable display, audiodevice (such as a speaker), an intercom, and the like. Any device of thepremises 312 may include the instructions display. The doorbell device602 is provided as an example of one type of display device forproviding the instructions to the user.

The doorbell device 602 may include an activation button 604. Theactivation button 604 may be the button pressed by the user thatactivates the indicator to the access server 304 that the user ispresent at the premises 312. The doorbell device 602 may includeadditional security features, such as a camera 606 that is accessiblethrough a wireless connection to the doorbell device. A display portion608 of the doorbell device 602 may include an announcement 608 or otherdisplay that provides instructions to a visitor to the premises 312. Theinstructions 608 may instruct the user visitor to provide a uniqueidentifier to the access server 304, if the user has an associatedunique identifier. Some visitors to the premises 312 may not have aunique identification code associated with the visitor. In suchinstances, access procedures may not be executed for the premises 312.Users that have a unique identification code may follow the instructions608 displayed to provide the associated code to the access server 304.For example, the user may use a visitor communication device 308 to textthe unique code to a displayed telephone or text number. In anotherexample, the user may call a telephone number and verbally provide theunique identifier code to an operator or to an answering computingdevice.

As described above, the user may have knowledge of the unique identifierassociated with the user. For example, the access server 304 may providethe unique identifier of the user to a communication device (such as asmart phone) or connection method (such as an email address) of theuser. The user may not have been previously provided the uniqueidentifier associated with the user before visiting the premises 312.For example, a delivery person to the premises 312 may not receive aunique identifier prior to visiting the premises to deliver a package,although a unique identifier has been generated by the access server 304in response to the administrator setting up one or more accessprocedures for the delivery person. The unique identifier associatedwith the user may thus be provided to the user through the display 608or through a visitor communication device 308. The unique identifier ofthe user may also be associated with a package being delivered by theuser, such as a tracking number or other identifier of the package.

To receive the unique identifier, a user may identify themselves to theaccess server 304 with one or more of the user information discussedabove. For example, the user may provide a name and identificationnumber (such as a social security number) to the access server 304 toreceive the unique identifier. Biometric information from a fingerprintscanner or facial recognition device may be determined from the user andprovided to the access server 304 to identify the user and the uniqueidentifier of the user. Information related to the purpose of the visitto the premises 312 by the user may also be used. For example, adelivery person may provide a tracking number of a package to the accessserver 304 to identify the user. A repair person may provide an ordernumber associated with the repair to identify the repair person to theaccess server 304. Fire and/or other emergency personnel may also begiven a unique code that provides access to the premises 312. Theemergency unique code is thus associated with the job of the user andmay be shared among all emergency personnel.

The unique identifier of the user may also be provided to the user onlyduring an access window associated with the user. For example, thedelivery of a package may be estimated to occur on a particular day oreven within a particular time window of a particular day. For suchdeliveries, a unique identifier code may be generated for the deliveryperson. The unique identifier may only be provided, however, to arequesting delivery person if the user identification information (suchas the tracking number of the package) is received at the access server304 within the estimated time window for delivery of the package.Requesting the unique identifier before or after the estimated timewindow for delivery may result in a rejection by the access server 304.

The unique identifier of the user to the premises 312 may be received atstep 506 through any of the procedures discussed above. Continuing theabove example, the unique identifier of the user may be texted to theaccess server 304 through a visitor communication device 308. At step508, the access server 304 may determine that the unique identifierprovided by the user is associated with the premises 312. For example,the access server 304 may compare the received unique identifier with alisting of unique identifiers of users registered or otherwiseassociated with the premises 312. If the received unique identifier isnot associated with the premises 312, the access server 304 may denyaccess to the premises to the user at step 510. The access server 304may also notify the premises administrator that a user has requestedaccess to the premises. This notification may include sending an alertto a device 302 of the administrator, such as a smart phone, computer,tablet, etc. associated with the administrator.

The user identification information provided to the access server 304may act as the unique identifier for some users to the premises 312. Forexample, instead of verifying the identity of the user through the useridentification information and providing the unique identifier to theuser, the access server 304 may determine the unique identifier based onthe user identification information. The access server 304 may comparethe determined unique identifier based on the user identificationinformation at step 508 to determine if the user is associated with thepremises 312. This may skip the step of providing the unique identifierto the visitor device 308 or displaying the unique identifier on adisplay portion 608 of the premises 312.

The access server 304 may, at step 512, determine one or more accessprocedures associated with the unique identifier of the user from theaccess registry 310. As mentioned above, one or more access proceduresfor providing access to a premises 312 for a user may be stored in theaccess registry 310 associated with a unique identifier of the user. Theone or more access procedures may include information or instructions toactivate and use access devices 314-322 of the premises to provide somevariable level of access to the premises. The access procedure maydefine the access devices 314-322 used in the procedure, a sequence ofactivation or use of the devices, conditions in activation of use of thedevices, time periods associated with use of the devices, information orsettings requested from the access devices, and the like. Anyfunctionality of the access devices 314-322 may be included in an accessprocedure associated with the premises 312.

As any number of access procedures may be associated with the user,additional information may be used by the access server 304 to selectthe access procedures for the user. For example, a set of accessprocedures for a plumber or electrician may be stored in the accessregistry 310 for emergency situations. The emergency access proceduremay provide the plumber or electrician with additional access to areasof the premises to address the emergency situation. The access server304 may receive an alert or other indication of the condition of thepremises 312 that may be used to determine which set of accessprocedures for a user is determined. Selection of a default set ofaccess procedures may occur for a typical visit to the premises 312.

To execute the one or more access procedures, a series of instructionsor calls to the access devices 314-322 or control system 320 may begenerated by the access server 304 at step 514. The calls provide theinstructions to control the various aspects of the access devices314-322 to perform the steps of the access procedures. For example, acall or series of calls may be generated to program a keypad associatedwith a door of the premises 312 with a one-time use code to unlock thedoor. A call to activate a garage door opener to open the garage doormay be generated. One or more calls to a security camera to turn on thesecurity camera, record for a time period, and turn off the camera maybe associated with the access procedure. Any instruction, packet, orcommunication to transmit to one or more of the access devices 314-322may be generated to execute the one or access procedures determined fromthe access registry 310.

Generation of the instructions or calls to the access devices 314-322 orcontrol system 320 of the premises 312 may include using an applicationprogramming interface (API) to translate an instruction into a protocolthat is accepted by the corresponding access device. For example, eachof the access devices 314-322 of the premises 312 may communicate usinga unique communication protocol such that an instruction sent to acamera device may be of a different format or protocol than aninstruction sent to a keypad of a door. As each of the access devices314-322 of the premises 312 may use a different communication protocolor format to receive control instructions and provide operationalinformation, one or more APIs may be used by the access server 304 totranslate the instructions into a communication format associated withthe target access device 314-322. The APIs may be associated with acontrol application or interface associated with the target device. Forexample, a wireless doorbell device may be associated with anapplication to receive and provide communications between the doorbelldevice and a user's computing device. The access server 304 may includeone or more associated application to interface with one or of theaccess devices 314-322 of the premises 312. Through the applications,the access server 304 may transmit control instructions to the accessdevices 314-322 to execute the one or more access procedures for theidentified user to the premises 312.

At step 516, the access server 304 may provide one or more accessinstructions or descriptions to a visitor device (such as the visitorcommunication device 308 or a display device of the premises 312. Forexample, FIG. 6 also shows an example doorbell device 602 displayinginstructions to a user visitor to a premises 312 to interact with theaccess procedure for the user (doorbell device example 614). Althoughthe doorbell display 614 is discussed, any display device of thepremises 312 may include the instructions display. The doorbell device602 is provided as an example of one type of display device forproviding the instructions to the user.

The display portion 610 of this instance 614 of the doorbell device 602may include an announcement or other display that provides instructionsto a visitor to the premises 312. The instructions provide directions tothe user on how to interact with an executed access procedure orotherwise inform the user of the access granted to the user. Forexample, the display 610 may include “Your unique code has beenverified! The garage door will open. Please place package in the garagewhen open. The door will shut automatically in five minutes.” In thisexample, the access procedure for the user includes activating a garageentry activator 318 to open the garage, waiting for five minutes, andactivating the garage entry activator to close the garage. In anotherexample, the display 610 may instruct the user to “Please proceed to theside of house. Use one-time code 1a2b3c for mudroom access at the sidedoor and leave the package. The alarm will be disabled for 30 secondsand your actions will be recorded. The system will re-arm once the doorcloses and the code will no longer work.” The instructions to the accessdevices 314-322 accompanying this description may include a programminginstruction to a keypad device 314 of the side door, a disablinginstruction to an alarm system 316, an activation instruction to acamera device 320, and an activating instruction to the alarm systemafter 30 seconds has expired. Thus, the description and instructionsprovided to the user may correspond to one or more of the instructionsof the access procedure for the user.

At step 518, the generated API calls or instructions may be sent to theaccess devices 314-322 or control system 320 of the premises 320 via acommunication network, such as the Internet. As described above, theaccess devices 314-322 may use a wireless connection to receiveinstructions and provide information to the access server 304. A wiredconnection may also be used for communication. For some accessprocedures, the instructions may be sequenced such that someinstructions are sent subsequent to other instructions to perform theaccess procedure. Some instructions may also be time-based in that theinstructions are sent after the expiration of a time period, asdiscussed in more detail below. One or more of the access devices314-322 may also be configured to provide acknowledgment messages inresponse to a received instruction. The acknowledgment message may betransmitted to the access server 304 for verification of the executionof the sent instructions. Communications between the access server 304,the control system 320, and/or the access devices 314-322 may thus betwo-way communications to execute the one or more access procedures forthe user at the premises 312.

The access server 304 may determine, at step 520, if one or more of theaccess procedures include a timed operation. For example, the accessprocedure may include opening a garage door for a time period, such asfive minutes. Other times access procedures may include disabling asecurity device 316 for a time period, displaying an announcement on anannouncement device 322 for a time period, activating a presencedetector 320 for a time period, etc. If the access procedure includes atimed operation, the access device may, at step 524, wait until theexpiration of the time period for the operation and, at step 526,transmit the timed call or instruction to the affected access device314-322. For example and in relation to an access procedure, the accessserver 304 may transmit an instruction to a garage door activator 318 toopen a garage door of the premises, wait until a five minute time periodhas expired, and transmit another instruction to the garage dooractivator to close the garage. Activation and disabling of securitydevices 316 and/or presence detectors 320 may occur in a similar mannerwith a time period between transmissions of the instructions to thedevice.

If the access procedure does not include a timed operation or after thetimed operations of the access procedure has expired, the access server304 may notify the administrator of the premises 312 of the accessgranted to the user at step 522. The notification may be provided to aadministrator device 302 of the administrator, via a text message, avideo file of the user accessing the premises, an email alert sent to anemail address of the administrator, and the like. A summary of theaccess procedure executed may also be provided to the administrator forreview by the administrator for modifications to the one or more accessprocedures for the user.

Through the method 500 of FIG. 5, one or more access procedures may beexecuted to provide a level of access to a user visiting a premises 312.The access procedures may be provided by a premises 312 administratorthrough a user interface to the access server 304, as described. One ormore aspects or operations of the access procedures for a user may alsobe generated by the access server 304 based on a received communication,information of the identity of the user, and/or access proceduresprovided by the administrator for similar users to the premises 312.FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example method 700 for generating oneor more access procedures for a premises 312 for granting user limitedaccess from a communication received from the user. Although the stepsof the method 700 of FIG. 7 are described as being performed by theaccess server 304, any component of the system 100 of FIG. 1 or thesystem 300 of FIG. 3 may perform one or more of the steps of the method.

At step 702, the access server 304 may receive a communication from auser that includes one or more indicators of a type of access to thepremises 312. For example, the communication may include an email froman online retailer that confirms a purchase made by a resident of thepremises 312 and provides information about delivery of the package tothe premises. FIG. 8 is an example communication 802 from a user fromwhich one or more access procedures for a premises may be generated. Anadministrator of the premises 312 may configure interactions with one ormore online retailers to include the access server 304 as a recipient ofemail communications from the retailer to the administrator. Othercommunications may be received by the access server 304 from whichaccess parameters may be determined, such as text messages, voicemails,automated phone calls, and the like. The access server 304 may alsoreceive the communication from other sources. For example, theadministrator may provide the communication to the access server 304,such as by forwarding the email to an email address of the access serveror providing the communication through the user interface of the accessserver. The access server 304 may also be given access to one or morecomputing devices and/or one or more communication applications of theadministrator (or other resident of the premises 312). For example, theaccess server 304 may have access to an email inbox for theadministrator to scan received emails for information from a user abouta visit to the premises 312. The information of the user communicationmay be used to generate or modify one or more access proceduresassociated with the user, as explained in more detail below.

At step 704, the access server 304 may authenticate the sender of thecommunication. In some instances, a user may attempt to gain access to apremises 312 by posing as a registered user with the premises. This mayinclude providing a fraudulent communication to the access server 304 inan attempt to gain some level of access to the premises. The accessserver 304 may authenticate the received communication as likely beingsent from a verified user. For example, the access server 304 may savesender email addresses or IP addresses from previously sentcommunications and associate those email addresses or IP addresses witha sender identifier. The sending email address or IP address of a newlyreceived communications may be compared to the stored sender informationto authenticate the communication as being provided by the sender. Theaccess server 304 may thus disregard or delete spam communications fromusers that are not associated with the access system 300. Other securitymeasures to authenticate the identity of a sender of a communication mayalso be used.

The access server 304 may analyze the communication at step 706 todetermine one or more access indicators for the user's visit to thepremises 312. The communication 802 illustrated in FIG. 8 may includeinformation from which one or more access indicators of the reason forthe user to be given access to the premises 312. For example, thecommunication may include some identification information of the sender804 of the communication (such as through a sender email address, acompany logo, or other company name within the body of thecommunication). The sender information may be associated with a useridentifier of the access server 304, as explained in more detail below.For example, the access server 304 may associate a company name, such asa delivery company or online retailer, with a user identifier. Otheraccess indicators may be also determined from the communication 802,such as an address 806 of the premises 312 to verify that thecommunication is associated with premises, an estimated time window 808for which access may be requested, an estimated date 810 for access tothe premises, and/or a type of access requested 812 (such as delivery ofa package, repair job, cleaning of the premises, installation of aproduct, wellness check of a resident or item of the premises, etc.).

One or more analysis techniques or machine learning procedures may beimplemented by the access server 304 to determine the access indicatorsfrom the communication 802. For example, the format of communicationsreceived from various users to a premises 812 may be different such thataccess indicators may not be in the same location within thecommunication. Analyzing the communication may include searching thetext within the communication for a format that indicates a particulartype of access indicator. For example, an estimated date for access mayhave a format of “DD-MM-YYYY” or “Sep. 7, 2019,” etc. An address of thepremises may include a particular type of format that is recognized bythe analysis technique as an address. Particular words within thecommunication 802 may also be searched for to determine an accessindicator as to a type of access required, such as “delivery,”“package,” “repair,” “water heater,” “housecleaning,” etc. One or moremachine learning techniques may be applied by the access server 304 toimprove the analysis of the communication 802. For example, emails froma particular user may always have the same format or layout such thatthe location within the communication of access indicators for the usermay be saved by the access server 304 and used for subsequently receivedcommunications from the user.

Additional access indicators may be determined and/or inferred from thecommunication 802 that are particular to a type of access requested. Forexample, based on an identification of a sender or a particular wordused in the communication 802, the access server 304 may determine thatthe access request is to deliver a package to the premises 312. Accessindicators 814 particular to a package delivery may then be determinedfrom the communication 802. Such access indicators 814 may include anestimated price of a delivered package, a type of the package, anestimated size of the package, a name of the person of the premises 312to receive the package, etc. For access to the premises 312 for repairof an item of the premises, the access type particular 814 informationmay include an item of the premises to be repaired, a relative locationwithin the premises of the repaired item, an estimated time period forperforming the repair, and the like. This additional access indicators814 particular to a type of access requested may also be determined andused by the access server 304 as described below.

As mentioned above, a premises administrator may identify one or moreusers for which access to the premises 312 is granted and a uniqueidentifier may be generated for the user. At step 708, the access server304 may determine if the sender of the communication is associated witha unique identifier of a user to the premises 312. The access server 304may compare the sender information determined from the communication toa list of registered users to the premises 312 to determine if thesender is a registered user. If the sender does not have a uniqueidentifier, the access server 304 may notify an administrator of thepremises 312 that an access procedure for the sender of thecommunication is not generated and stored at step 710. This may alertthe administrator to use the user interface of the access server 304 tocreate one or more access procedures for the sender of thecommunication, as described above.

Step 708 may be optional in that the access server 304 may, based on theauthentication of the sender, be configured to generate a uniqueidentifier for the sender of the communication. For example, theadministrator of the premises 312 may establish, with the access server304, particular senders of communications as verified senders that areto be associated with a unique identifier after a communication isreceived. The access server 304 may generate the unique identifier basedon the received communication and may store the unique identifier forcomparison if subsequent communications are received.

The access server 304 may generate, at step 712, a first rule set orbaseline access procedure for access to the premises 312 based on theunique identifier of the user from the communication 802. For example,the unique identifier and/or access indicators may indicate a type ofaccess to be granted to the sender of the communication 802. Theadministrator or the access server 304 may be configured with defaultaccess procedures for particular users. For example, a default accessprocedure may be established (such as from information provided by apremises administrator) for a package delivery company. The defaultaccess procedure may be applied for each visit to the premises 312 bythe package delivery company. Other users, such as house cleaners ortrusted neighbors, may be associated with other default accessprocedures. The unique identifier of the sender of the communication 802may thus be used to determine the default access procedure for the userassociated with the communication. Some users to the premises 312 may begiven privilege over other user visitors. For example, a trusted repaircompany may be associated with a first set of access procedures while aless trusted repair company may be associated with a second set ofaccess procedures that provides more limited access to the premises.Particular delivery companies may also be privileged over deliverycompanies and different access procedures may be associated with thosecompanies accordingly.

The default access procedure may also be based on a type of accessrequested as determined from the access indicators in the communication802. For example, access to the premises 312 to deliver a package mayinclude providing access to a garage or side door of the premises as adefault access procedure, regardless of which user to the premises isdelivering the package. A default access procedure may also beestablished for all repairs to the premises, regardless of which companyor repair person is requesting the access. The access indicators 816from communication 802 may be used to determine the type of access tothe premises 312 requested by a user and to apply the default accessprocedures.

The access procedures may also be obtained and/or determined from thecommunication 802. For example, an online retailer, as part of an onlinepurchase of an item, may receive one or more access procedures from thepurchaser of the item. The online retailer may receive the accessprocedures in a similar manner as described above in relation to theuser interface. The purchaser thus may provide the access procedures tothe online retailer for delivery of the item. The online retailer mayinclude, in the communication 802, an indication of the accessprocedures provided by the purchaser and the access server 304 maydetermine the access procedures via the communication. The accessprocedures may be associated with the sender of the communication 802and used for delivery of the item. The parameters of the purchase may bebased on the provided access procedures. For example, the shipping costfor delivery of an item may be higher for more complicated accessprocedures provided by the purchaser to the online retailer.

At step 714, the access server 304 may determine if modifications to thedefault access procedures are to be applied based on the accessindicators 814 from the communication 802. Modification to the accessprocedures may occur at step 716 and may be based on any informationand/or access indicators 814 determined from the communication 802. Forexample, a time window in which the access procedure is active may beset that corresponds to the estimated date/time of delivery of a packageas determined from the communication 802. Attempted accessing of thepremises 312 before or after the access procedure is active may generatea denial of access to the user. The access server 304 may modify anaccess procedure based on a price or size of a package to be delivered,such that more expensive or larger packages may have an associatedaccess procedure that allows the placement of the package inside thepremises while a less expensive or smaller package may have anassociated access procedure that allows for the package to be left onthe front porch of the premises 312. Modification to an access proceduremay also be based on an estimated day of access. For example, thepremises may have multiple users scheduled to access the premises on thesame day. The access procedures for each of the users accessing thepremises 312 for that day may be modified to ensure that the users donot overlap in a location within the premises or otherwise interferewith the access granted. Access procedures for a known user may also bemodified despite the user arriving on unannounced day or time. Forexample, a pool cleaner may arrive on a Tuesday instead of a regularvisit to the premises 312 on a Wednesday. Providing the uniqueidentifier to the access server 304 that identifies the pool cleaner maymodify the access procedures for the pool cleaner to allow access onthat Tuesday. The modification to the access procedures may be saved aspart of the access procedures for the pool cleaner, or may be discardedat the end of the visit as an unannounced visit to the premises.

Any of the operations of the access procedure for the unique identifiermay be modified based on one or more access indicators 814 determinedfrom the communication 802. Similar to above, one or more machinelearning procedures may be implemented by the access server 304 tomodify the access procedures based on the access indicators determinedfrom the communication 802 such that the rules that govern themodification to the access procedures may be provided by theadministrator of the premises 312 or may be generated by the accessserver 304 from previously provided access procedures and/or accessprocedures provided for other premises also controlled by the accessserver.

The access server 304 may also modify the access procedures based onenvironmental condition information received from other sources. Forexample, the access server 304 may modify an estimated time of deliveryof a package based on traffic information that may affect delivery of anitem. The traffic information may indicate that a delivery person isbehind schedule to deliver a package such that the time window foraccess to the premises 312 may be adjusted by the access serveraccordingly. The access server 304 may receive environmental conditioninformation such as weather information from a weather reportinginformation source. A first access procedure for perishable items beingdelivered may be modified if the weather information indicates that theitems may be damaged if left outside during the weather condition. Forexample, an item that requires refrigeration may spoil if left on thefront porch of the premises during a hot day. The modified accessprocedures may allow access to the interior of the premises 312 andinstructions to the delivery person to place the package inside thepremises so that the items are not damaged by the weather. The item maythus be placed inside an air conditioned garage or other climatecontrolled area of the premises in response to the weather informationreceived by the access server 304. Additional information associatedwith the limited access to the premises 312 may also be received by theaccess server 304 and used to modify the access procedures for thelimited access to the premises. For example, modifications in responseto weather information may be based on the user identifier such that themodifications are applied to the access procedures for some users andnot applied for others.

The access server 304 may store the modified access procedures or, ifthe access procedures are not to be modified, the default accessprocedures in the access registry 310 at step 718. The stored accessprocedure may be executed as explained above to provide the uniqueidentifier to the access server 304. At step 720, the access server 304may provide a notification or alert to the premises administrator of theupdate to the access registry 310 corresponding to the receivedcommunication. The administrator may thus be aware that thecommunication was received by the access server 304, as well as makingany additional modifications to the access procedures in relation to theuser of the communication 802.

An access system 300 may allow a level of access to the premises for oneor more user visitors. Access to the premises 312 may be providedthrough one or more access procedures that include a sequence or seriesof operations of one or more access devices 314-322 of the premises. Theaccess procedure may be tailored to or particular to the user visitor.Individuals may self-identify themselves to an access server 304 orregistry 310 after arriving at the premises 312 and receivecorresponding access procedures by the access server and the one or moreaccess devices 314-322 within the premises based on access proceduresstored in the registry. The access procedures may be supplied to theaccess server 304 from an administrator of the premises 312, such asthrough a user interface to the access server. The access server 304 maycontrol and/or facilitate the various smart access devices 314-322 ofthe premises 312 to execute the access procedures for the identifieduser. The access procedures for the user may also be generated ordetermined based on a communication received at the access server 304corresponding to the user.

Although examples are described above, features and/or steps of thoseexamples may be combined, divided, omitted, rearranged, revised, and/oraugmented in any desired manner. Various alterations, modifications, andimprovements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Suchalterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis description, though not expressly stated herein, and are intendedto be within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, theforegoing description is by way of example only, and is not limiting.

1. A computing device comprising: one or more processors; and memorystoring instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors,cause the computing device to: receive, from a first device associatedwith a first user that has access to a first portion of a premises basedon access information, a request to grant the first user access to asecond portion of the premises to perform an action related to theaccess to the first portion; grant, to the first user, the access to thesecond portion; and send at least one message associated with the grantof the access to the second portion.
 2. The computing device of claim 1,wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors,further cause the computing device to: store, for use associated with afuture visit, information indicating that the first user has beengranted access to the first portion and the second portion.
 3. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed bythe one or more processors, further cause the computing device to: send,to a second device associated with a second user and based on the grantof the access to the second portion, a notification to monitor activityof the first user within the second portion.
 4. The computing device ofclaim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, further cause the computing device to: grant, to a seconduser, second access to the second portion based on avoiding overlappingaccess between the first user and the second user in the second portion.5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, cause the computing device togrant the access to the second portion based on one or more of: adetermination, based on traffic information, of an updated estimateddelivery time of a delivery item; or a determination, based on weatherinformation, that a delivery item is susceptible to damage.
 6. Thecomputing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed bythe one or more processors, further cause the computing device to: causeoutput, to the first device and based on the grant of the access to thesecond portion, of a notification indicating a time limit correspondingto the access to the second portion, wherein the time limit is based ona trust level of the first user determined from the access information.7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, further cause the computingdevice to: determine the second portion based on weather information. 8.The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executedby the one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:deny a request for a grant of access to a different portion of thepremises based on determining that the access to the different portionwould occur before expiration of a time limit corresponding to theaccess to the second portion.
 9. A computing device comprising: one ormore processors; and memory storing instructions, that when executed bythe one or more processors, further cause the computing device to:receive, from a device associated with a user that has been grantedtemporary access to a premises based on access information, a requestfor a grant of additional access to the premises determine that a periodof time, since the user was granted the temporary access to thepremises, satisfies a threshold; and determine, based on the period oftime satisfying the threshold, updated access information that indicatesthe grant of the additional access.
 10. The computing device of claim 9,wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors,cause the computing device to determine the updated access informationfurther based on at least one of: a detected emergency situationoccurring at the premises; or an indication, based on weatherinformation, that a delivery item is susceptible to damage.
 11. Thecomputing device of claim 9, wherein the request for the grant of theadditional access indicates a size of a delivery item.
 12. The computingdevice of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one ormore processors, further cause the computing device to: determine, basedon the updated access information, whether to send a notificationindicating the grant of the additional access.
 13. The computing deviceof claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, further cause the computing device to: determine, from acalendar application of a user device, that an administrator of thepremises is present at the premises; and modify, based on thedetermination that the administrator is present, an access procedureassociated with the additional access.
 14. The computing device of claim9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, further cause the computing device to: modify accessprocedures for a plurality of users to ensure that access by each user,of the plurality of user, does not overlap in a location within thepremises.
 15. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the instructions,when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the computingdevice to: determine, based on a trust level of the user determined fromthe access information, a time limit associated with the grant of theadditional access.
 16. The computing device of claim 9, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causethe computing device to: deny a request for access to a differentportion of the premises, based on a determination that access to thedifferent portion would occur before expiration of a time limitcorresponding to the additional access.
 17. The computing device ofclaim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the computing device to: update the access informationto indicate the grant of the additional access.
 18. The computing deviceof claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, further cause the computing device to send at least onemessage associated with the grant of the additional access, wherein theat least one message comprises: a notification, to a device associatedwith an administrator of the premises, to monitor activity of the userwithin the premises; a notification, to the device associated with theuser, indicating a time limit corresponding to the grant of theadditional access; or a notification, to the device associated with theuser, of the grant of the additional access.
 19. A non-transitory,computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed,cause: receiving, from a first device associated with a first user thathas access to a first portion of a premises based on access information,a request to grant the first user access to a second portion of thepremises to perform an action related to the access to the firstportion; granting, to the first user, the access to the second portion;and sending at least one message associated with the grant of the accessto the second portion.
 20. The non-transitory, computer-readable mediumof claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:storing, for use associated with a future visit, information indicatingthat the first user has been granted access to the first portion and thesecond portion.
 21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium ofclaim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:sending, to a second device associated with a second user and based onthe grant of the access to the second portion, a notification to monitoractivity of the first user within the second portion.
 22. Thenon-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein theinstructions, when executed, further cause: granting, to a second user,second access to the second portion based on avoiding overlapping accessbetween the first user and the second user in the second portion. 23.The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, whereingranting the access to the second portion is based on one or more of:determining, based on traffic information, an updated estimated deliverytime of a delivery item; determining, based on weather information, thata delivery item is susceptible to damage; a size of a delivery item; ordetecting an emergency situation occurring at the premises.
 24. Thenon-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein theinstructions, when executed, further cause: causing output, to the firstdevice and based on the grant of the access to the second portion, of anotification indicating a time limit corresponding to the access to thesecond portion, wherein the time limit is based on a trust level of thefirst user determined from the access information.
 25. Thenon-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein theinstructions, when executed, further cause: denying a request for agrant of access to a different portion of the premises, based ondetermining that the access to the different portion would occur beforeexpiration of a time limit corresponding to the access to the secondportion.
 26. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storinginstructions that, when executed, cause: receiving, from a deviceassociated with a user that has been granted temporary access to apremises based on access information, a request for a grant ofadditional access to the premises; determining that a period of time,since the user was granted the temporary access to the premises,satisfies a threshold; and determining, based on the period of timesatisfying the threshold, updated access information that indicates thegrant of the additional access.
 27. The non-transitory,computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein determining the updatedaccess information is further based on at least one of: detecting anemergency situation occurring at the premises; or determining, based onweather information, that a delivery item is susceptible to damage. 28.The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein theinstructions, when executed, further cause: determining, based on theupdated access information, whether to send a notification indicatingthe grant of the additional access.
 29. The non-transitory,computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted, further cause: determining, from a calendar application of auser device, that an administrator of the premises is present at thepremises; and modifying, based on the determination that theadministrator is present, an access procedure associated with theadditional access.
 30. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium ofclaim 26, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause:denying a request for access to a different portion of the premises,based on determining that the access to the different portion wouldoccur before expiration of a time limit corresponding to the additionalaccess.
 31. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 26,wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause sending at leastone message associated with the grant of the additional access, whereinthe at least one message comprises: a notification, to a deviceassociated with an administrator of the premises, to monitor activity ofthe user within the premises; a notification, to the device associatedwith the user, indicating a time limit corresponding to the grant of theadditional access, wherein the time limit is based on a trust level ofthe user determined from the access information; or a notification, tothe device associated with the user, of the grant of the additionalaccess.
 32. A system comprising: a first computing device; and a secondcomputing device, wherein the first computing device is associated witha first user that has access to a first portion of a premises based onaccess information, and wherein the first computing device is configuredto send a request to grant the first user access to a second portion ofthe premises to perform an action related to the access to the firstportion, and wherein the second computing device is configured to:receive, from the first computing device, the request to grant the firstuser access to the second portion of the premises to perform the actionrelated to the access to the first portion; grant, to the first user,the access to the second portion; and send at least one messageassociated with the grant of the access to the second portion.
 33. Thesystem of claim 32, wherein the second computing device is furtherconfigured to: store, for use associated with a future visit,information indicating that the first user has been granted access tothe first portion and the second portion.
 34. The system of claim 32,wherein the second computing device is further configured to: send, to adevice associated with a second user and based on the grant of theaccess to the second portion, a notification to monitor activity of thefirst user within the second portion.
 35. The system of claim 32,wherein the second computing device is further configured to: grant, toa second user, second access to the second portion based on avoidingoverlapping access between the first user and the second user in thesecond portion.
 36. The system of claim 32, wherein the second computingdevice is configured to grant the access to the second portion based onone or more of: a determination, based on traffic information, of anupdated estimated delivery time of a delivery item; a determination,based on weather information, that a delivery item is susceptible todamage; a size of a delivery item; or detection of an emergencysituation occurring at the premises.
 37. The system of claim 32, whereinthe second computing device is further configured to: cause output, tothe first computing device and based on the grant of the access to thesecond portion, of a notification indicating a time limit correspondingto the access to the second portion, wherein the time limit is based ona trust level of the first user determined from the access information.38. The system of claim 32, wherein the second computing device isfurther configured to: deny a request for a grant of access to adifferent portion of the premises, based on determining that the accessto the different portion would occur before expiration of a time limitcorresponding to the access to the second portion.
 39. A systemcomprising: a first computing device; and a second computing device,wherein the first computing device is associated with a user that hasbeen granted temporary access to a premises based on access information,and wherein the first computing device is configured to send a requestfor a grant of additional access to the premises, and wherein the secondcomputing device is configured to: receive, from the first computingdevice, the request for the grant of the additional access to thepremises; determine that a period of time, since the user was grantedthe temporary access to the premises, satisfies a threshold; anddetermine, based on the period of time satisfying the threshold, updatedaccess information that indicates the grant of the additional access.40. The system of claim 39, wherein the second computing device isconfigured to determine the updated access information further based onat least one of: a detected emergency situation occurring at thepremises; or an indication, based on weather information, that adelivery item is susceptible to damage.
 41. The system of claim 39,wherein the second computing device is further configured to: determine,based on the updated access information, whether to send a notificationindicating the grant of the additional access.
 42. The system of claim39, wherein the second computing device is further configured to:determine, from a calendar application of a user device, that anadministrator of the premises is present at the premises; and modify,based on the determination that the administrator is present, an accessprocedure associated with the additional access.
 43. The system of claim39, wherein the second computing device is further configured to: deny arequest for access to a different portion of the premises, based ondetermining that the access to the different portion would occur beforeexpiration of a time limit corresponding to the additional access. 44.The system of claim 39, wherein the second computing device is furtherconfigured to send at least one message associated with the grant of theadditional access, wherein the at least one message comprises: anotification, to a device associated with an administrator of thepremises, to monitor activity of the user within the premises; anotification, to the device associated with the user, indicating a timelimit corresponding to the grant of the additional access, wherein thetime limit is based on a trust level of the user determined from theaccess information; or a notification, to the device associated with theuser, of the grant of the additional access.